To understand an individual, it is said to walk a mile in their shoes.
For DeMeco Ryans, his time as a player can’t be measured in miles, but games played. With a 140 career games in the NFL, the former two-time Pro Bowl linebacker has a bevy of experience, which has helped him relate to players since entering coaching as a defensive quality control coach in 2017 with the San Francisco 49ers.
Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills is not alone in his respect for new coach DeMeco Ryans, and the prominent factor is his past life as a player from 2006-15.
“I think it goes for me and other guys in the locker room, everybody has a ton of respect for him because he’s been in our shoes especially, played for Houston,” Mills told reporters after organized team activities on May 23. “He knows what it’s like to go through a training camp practice in this heat.”
What has endeared Ryans to the Texans is also his understanding of how to manage the players.
“He knows how to take care of his guys,” said Mills. “He knows what needs to be done to put in the work and win games and that’s kind of spread around the locker room.”
Ryans’ enthusiasm has also spread around Houston as fans are excited to see the Texans complete the rebuild and win more than four games for the first time since 2019. Even though the Texans are dealing with a first-year coach, the expectation is fortunes are only going to improve.
“We feel the fire that comes from him and it’s been good,” said Mills. “Guys have a lot of respect and we’re excited to play for him.”
